


A Grimm Retelling

by Dragonfruit32 (orphan_account)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Grimm Pyrrha, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), Pyrrha Nikos Lives, Rarepair, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23665870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Dragonfruit32
Summary: [Updated every second Wednesday] After the fall of Beacon Ruby's mysterious death, teams RWBY and JNPR are left scattered. Weiss; Jaune, Nora and Ren find themselves in Atlas. Yang and Blake ally with Raven, and Pyrrha finds unexpected companionship in the clutches of Salem..
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos/Emerald Sustrai
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a post V3 fanfic, the outline of which was finalised halfway through V4. As such there have been major changes to the lore, everything from the origin of silver eyes to Hazel's motivation has a different explanation here. I just ask that you keep an open mind while reading, and don't make any presumptions.

_“Ruby Rose” Ozpin looked down at the excitable young girl in front of him, face unreadable. “You have silver eyes.”_

_What suffering will befall you because of it?_

Pyrrha had known this would be a suicide mission. It was why despite his protests she had sent Jaune away. The way he had screamed her name broke the young huntress's heart, but he would get over it. All of them would. With any luck they would all go on to live long, happy lives.

The pain in her ankle made thinking of anything else difficult. She watched with resignation as the bowstring drew back, arrow pointed to her chest. All that could be done now was to die with dignity, Pyrrha realized.

She looked up, glaring at the woman who had ruined everything. Every part of her felt like it was burning, her armor melted and her weapons scattered out of reach. This was the end.

Her voice was raspy as she choked out her last words, a whisper of a question. "..Do you believe in destiny?"

Cinder smiled, victory written across her face as she opened her mouth to answer- only to be interrupted by a thunderous scream.

Ruby Rose flew to the top of Beacon tower in a swirl of petals, already grief-stricken and exhausted. When she saw her friend moments from death, it broke her. Sliver energy exploded from her tiny body as something very, very old awoke. Raw power tore through stone like paper as she screamed in primordial rage.

Pyrrha watched as Cinder whirled to create a fiery barrier, countering the wave of negative energy. The two forces clashed, and she found herself almost hoping that the shield would hold. There was something so destructive about the way silver tendrils seeped from Ruby. The power felt almost Grimm in nature.

Despite the deafening combat around her, the 'invincible girl' just wanted to collapse and let her shattered aura do its job. The black splotches in her vision were getting wider, and she suddenly noticed that her head was lying against cold stone. She should help... she.. she should...

A boom echoed across the tower as fire and magic exploded outwards in a searing blast.

Then, everything went black.

When Pyrrha finally regained consciousness, the pain had dimmed to a dull throb. She felt drained. Her limbs were too heavy to move and bright, artificial light shone into her eyes. Groaning, she tried to shift her face away. A hand firmly pushed her back, and a distracted Atlesian voice muttered above her. "Say there, please. I'm almost done."

Not in any position to disobey, she went limp and a moment later the light turned off.

"Thank you" a tall, tan-skinned man with a rather large mustache was fiddling with a set of tools by her bed. 

With what little she could see in her field of vision, Pyrrha was at the far end of a lab room. Various jars lined the wall, filled with strange dark blotches that seemed to pulse in the corner of her eye. She glanced back to the man, who was now looking at her seemingly waiting for a reaction.

"Where's my team?" The huntress's voice was strained, even breathing brought painful movement against scorched flesh. Still, she had to know if they had got to safety. 

"On an airship by now, I imagine"

"How long was I out?"

"Two days."

She frowned. "But then, my aura-"

"I'm afraid we had to put blockers on it." He didn't sound particularly sorry.

Pyrrha tensed, splaying a hand out toward some of the more metallic looking equipment. Nothing happened.

The man hummed, "your semblance as well"

She glared.

He didn't seem to care much, turning away to swipe skeletal fingers at a wide array of screens. He twirled his silly mustache as he worked.

Pyrrha tried to push herself up onto her knees, but found there was no feeling below her waist. She yelped as her arms refused to support the weight and she flopped back down to the mattress. That was odd, but not entirely unexpected. Carefully peeled away bandages, she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. Tendrils reaching up to her thighs; white armor affixed to black skin. 

Grimm. Her legs were Grimm. She stopped breathing and reached down a shaking hand to touch the plating. It was rough, like uncut stone. Somehow feeling it made everything more real. Panic began to set in, and she felt dizzy. Her eyes shot around the room, the things in the jars, they were Grimm too. Her breathing quickened. No armor; no weapons or aura. She couldn't stand, let alone fight her way out. And what good was Pyrrha Nikos if she couldn't fight?

"Give me your arm." Her desperate thoughts were interrupted by the Atlesian man, who was now pointing a syringe at her.

"No!" she scrambled to the far wall, moving as fast as her injuries would allow. Curling into herself, she didn't break eye contact. Even that small burst of movement had left her exhausted. "don't touch me."

"You are going to want this," the man raised an eyebrow, "the alternative is far more painful."

Pyrrha said nothing, her long hair clinging to her face. 

He waited. 

The silence became too much to bear.

"...Who are you?" She hated how her voice shook.

"Doctor Arthur Watts, if you must know. Now will you please give me your arm," he scowled. "I have far more interesting things to be doing right now."

There was a pause. She was in no condition to resist if he forced her. Hesitantly, she tried to relax and let him take her wrist in his hand. Injections were always strange. The experience of something going further into your skin than it should was not a pleasant one.

Watts wiped the needle and placed it somewhere out of reach. Without even a parting glance he walked out of the small laboratory, saying nothing but a curt "don't knock anything over." before closing the door.

Pyrrha was alone. It felt surreal, sitting on the floor of this laboratory. She felt like she should get up and run, fight her way out if necessary. But that wasn't an option with legs that were dead weight, and muscles that strained at the slightest movement. With no headpiece to hold it in place, her hair fell messily across the floor.

Despite the pedestal she was put upon, Pyrrha was still a seventeen-year-old girl. With nobody left to watch, she broke down. Hands over her head and sobbing, she wondered if Jaune even knew she was alive. So much had happened in such a short period. She couldn't even begin to process it all. 

Penny. Robot or not, she had torn that poor girl in half with her semblance. She could never take that back. Ripping metal and horrified screams replayed in her head. Grimm flooding the Colosseum. She drew in a shaky breath. Maybe these people were right to block her aura.

Minutes passed, or maybe hours.

The sound of tapping feet pulled Pyrrha from her thoughts. She looked up to meet vivid red eyes; green hair and olive skin. 

She jumped up- or tried to. It was more of an alarmed jolt into a sitting position. "What are you doing here?!"

"My job." Emerald leaned against the wall, raising her eyebrows. "Surprisingly."

So this was the same organization that caused the fall of Beacon. That made things.. Worse, to say the least. Her eyes widened as realisation set in.

"You made me-" Pyrrha choked on her words, bile rising in her throat. "You made me kill Penny."

The green haired girl shrugged, "It was a machine. Atlas has probably already flown down to grab its chip or whatever."

“She wasn't just a machine”

“And what would you call it? It certainly wasn’t human.”

She reached forward to slap her and Emerald scowled, catching the approaching blow with little effort.

"I-" Pyrrha flinched back, suddenly aware of the imbalance in power.

The illusionist frowned. She wasn't one to enjoy beating down on people unnecessarily. This interaction wasn’t going the way she had planned.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? It’s easier not to think of it-her as human. It wasn’t my idea to get you to do that. I’ll leave you alone, I just..” She breathed, running a hand down her face. "I need to know what happened on that tower first. How did she die? It wasn’t you, I saw the explosion but..” 

Pyrrha turned away, hands clasped to stop them from shaking. She hadn’t noticed how tired the other woman seemed until now. If the bags under the thief's eyes were any indication, she hadn’t slept in days. "It was Ruby. I-I don’t know how she did it, I was barely conscious at the time, but- There was silver everywhere, then they were both screaming- and.. I don't know. I passed out soon after.”

“Fuck.” Emerald sat down. “There’s nobody left to blame, then.”

She looked so defeated, and the genuine grief in her voice was no illusion. The redhead couldn't hold onto her resentment; it appeared both of them had been manipulated into things they didn't truly want.

“I’m going to leave.” Emerald finally broke the silence, sounding firm in her decision. “It might take me a few days to get ready, but there’s an old train station about a mile from here. You could come too, if you wanted.”

Pyrrha nodded. 

A moment after footsteps echoed along the corridor. The thief stood up and activated her semblance, hiding from view. A second later, the door opened and closed by itself.

She was alone again, for the moment.

Pyrrha pulled a blanket over the things that were now her legs.


	2. Chapter 2

"And what may I ask, is your connection to my daughter?" 

“Well I, um..” Jaune stuttered, tapping his feet. He thought he could pull himself together, but now sitting across from Jacques Schnee it was another story entirely. With his white hair and pale complexion, Jaune was reminded of the vampire stories he had been read as a child.

“We’re her friends.” Ren stepped forward, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “The airship your company sent had automated security. Considering what happened to Ironwood’s forces, we thought you’d appreciate some living defenses around here.”

“Indeed, my estate is somewhat exposed at the moment.” He tapped his pen thoughtfully. “And I don't believe the academy will be reopening anytime soon."

Both Jaune and Ren nodded an affirmative. The whole team had received that soul-crushing message from Glynda yesterday. Vale had fallen into chaos. With Grimm around every corner people could barely survive, let alone rebuild.

“Well then," Jacque's smile was like a predator. "you are very welcome to work for me. But I do hope you remember that it was I who helped you in these trying times.”

Jaune jumped a little as Ren nudged him. “Yes! I- thank you, sir. We’re very grateful.”

“Excellent.” He leaned back, waving a hand dismissively. “Hurry along then. Remind Weiss I expect to see her in my office by the end of the day.”

The two boys were quick to leave, meeting Nora outside his office. “How did it go?!” The junior huntress was practically bouncing off the walls.

“We can stay. Jacques wants us running security.” Ren began walking through the many halls of the estate. “It boosts his image if he lets former academy students work for him.”

Jaune scowled, kicking the ground in frustration. “So we’re just here to make him look good?”

“There isn’t much of a choice.”

Nora walked erratically, pausing to stare at random objects than running ahead of the group when she saw something more interesting. Throughout this, she filled the silence with random chatter and ideas. Ren gave small nods and smiles in response, then turned back to Jaune as his partner continued her tirade. “You should go see Weiss. Break the news to her as gently as you can. Nora and I will go and see what assignments we’ve been given, it should give you a couple of hours alone with her.”

“Yeah.. yeah.” Jaune nodded and swallowed, turning away from his team. “..I’ll do my best.”

It took longer than it should have to find Weiss’s room. A couple of chuckling staff offered to draw him a map the third time he passed them in the corridor. Regardless, he got there eventually. The door opened soundlessly as he stepped inside.

The room was neat, not a hair out of place. Jaune felt like he had stepped into a hotel rather than a teenager's bedroom. That made sense he supposed, given the way she spoke about her home. Weiss herself sat at the foot of her bed, propped up by a frankly excessive amount of pillows. The book she was reading snapped shut as he walked in.

“Jaune.” She raised her eyebrows in surprise, “I didn’t know you were here.”

Jaune scratched the back of his neck. “My team's ah, doing security... stuff. For your dad.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s a job right?” He laughed nervously. “But also we were worried about you- This is a way for us to stay nearby.”

"Is Ruby with you?”

The simple question made his shoulders slump forward, and Jaune drooped. He pulled up a chair and sat down, hands clasped in front of him. “Weiss..” He sucked in a deep breath. “I'm so sorry, but nobody made it off that tower.”

The Heiress stared. She didn’t say anything- she couldn’t. The words caught in her throat. A sort of choked gasp passed her lips as words of denial and anger were suppressed. Jaune continued to speak, meaningless words and apologies for not getting there sooner. She zoned them out. The implications set in as Weiss’s body began to move. She curled into herself, hands covering her mouth as silent tears rolled down her face. She had been the one to send Ruby up there.

Jaune stopped talking, he just sat there quietly- fingernails digging into the palm of his hand. He had been given time to grieve over the last few days, but he was still in no state to comfort anybody else. The blond recalled the events of Beacon and held his head in his hands. Being sent away in that locker, being denied the right to fight by his partner's side.

He remembered running through city streets, reaching Beacon just as the tower exploded. There had been no sign of Pyrrha or Ruby among the debris, the strange woman they had gone to fight having vanished as well. He looked for hours amongst the ruins, screaming names until his voice burned. By the time he had found Weiss, he had already given up- only searching because he didn't know what else to do. 

Jaune remembered pulling her free from the wreckage and stumbling through Grimm-infested alleyways. He remembered collapsing outside the city limits, and the sound of airships overhead. Next thing he knew, Nora and Ren were staring down at him, and he was on his way to Atlas.

Weiss had stopped crying. Her expression was one of practiced indifference. If it weren't for tear tracks down her face, nobody would have suspected the earlier breakdown. She stood up, brushing past Jaune on her way to the door. "Father will want to speak with me."

At the contact, Jaune seemed to unfreeze. He shot to his feet, spinning around and grabbing Weis by the sleeve to stop her from leaving. "Wait! I- you shouldn't, you don't have to go yet. This is a lot, I know it is, but if we stick together.."

His hopeful ramblings were cut short by the heiress pulling her arm away. She scowled, every defense mechanism she had ever developed clicking firmly back into place. "I'm fine. Going to Beacon was a mistake."

Jaune was stunned. Those few moments of inaction were all Weiss needed to leave the room. He went to run after her, but found himself consumed by dizziness. He stumbled, leaning a hand against the wall for support. The blond's aura flared, a second of pure yellow filling the room before it was sucked back into his body. There had been no attack, but he felt violated somehow- like his soul had just been examined.

By that time he recovered, Weiss was long gone. There was little point in following her, what would he even say? They weren't good enough friends for his words to hold any weight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I hate dialogue so much.
> 
> I’m not a massive fan of this chapter, but I promised regular updates so this is what you’re getting. As usual I’d like to remind you to leave a quick review, your words really do mean the world to me.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I’ll see you in two weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Yang and Blake made their way into the encampment without resistance. They both looked tired and bumblebee, (Yang's motorbike) had faded a rusty orange after weeks of travel.

The guards waved them inside without a glance. They heard the steady thud of their footsteps echoing through the silent bandit camp. Blake's ears pressed flat against her head as she walked behind her partner. She was scared for what would happen now. The search for her mother had kept Yang together these past few weeks, it had been a concrete goal she could focus on. Now that the journey was nearing its completion, there would be nothing to stop the grief from setting in.

Raven stepped out of the far tent with her arms folded, a Grimm-like mask obscuring her features. Yang moved to meet her, dumping her motorbike in the dust as she walked forwards. The tension built as mother and daughter looked at each other, the blank white helmet meeting blazing red eyes in silence.

Raven brought a hand up behind her head and released the catch that held her mask in place. Thick, black hair fell across her shoulders as she removed the helmet. Her pale face held a surprisingly warm expression as she spoke. "Yang," her voice was genuine. "It's good to see you alive."

Yang frowned. She had been expecting (almost hoping for) a fight, or at the very least a confrontation. There was a pause as her one-track mind tried to reconfigure. After a moment, with nothing to lash out against, all the pain and loss finally came crashing down.

She threw herself into her mother's arms. Great, heaving sobs wracked her body as she buried her head into Raven's shoulder. Raven herself, froze. She had never been particularly good at comforting others. After a second's hesitation she pulled her daughter in, giving her a rather stiff pat on the back.

For a while, nobody said anything. The sounds of hitched breath and months of frustration being vented were more than enough to fill the silence. Blake stood a short distance away. She watched quietly, happy that her partner could finally ease some small part of her burden.

Yang's crying eventually slowed enough for her to speak. "Ruby.." She sniffed. "Ruby is dead. I-I couldn't do anything, she ran off to save Pyrrha and-" The blonde dissolved into another fit of sobs, angry tears running down her face. "And then the sky went silver and the tower exploded and she was just gone."

Raven blinked and stared down at her daughter, something unreadable flashing across her face. "Did you say silver?"

Yang nodded mutely.

"..I think it would be best if you came inside. Your friend too." She gestured to Blake, who perked up a little at the acknowledgment. Without further explanation, she pulled away and stepped into her tent. The two junior huntresses shared a glance before following her inside.

Despite the cold weather, the tent was pleasantly heated. Layers of patterned cloth created a living space that was both warm and decorated. Aside from a tea set that looked far to expensive for a bandit leader, there were no material possessions to occupy the space. It seemed Raven liked to travel light.

Once they were inside, Raven closed the flap. She turned away, pinching the bridge of her nose and muttering to herself. "The whole sky? I knew the bloodline was getting stronger, but for an untrained vessel that shouldn't even be possible.."

Yang sat on the floor while Blake remained standing. The Faunus straightened her jacket and looked at Raven, frowning slightly. "Do you know something about what happened?"

Raven gave a small, bitter laugh. "I can certainly guess. It happened before, after all." She sighed and sat down with her legs crossed, not making eye contact with either of the junior huntresses. "I had forgotten how little Ozpin tells his students, though I suppose it's to be expected."

Yang leaned forward, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Ozpin would always ask if you believed in fairy tales. I was never so idealistic, but I suppose it isn't a bad starting point." She shook her head, "Your sister had silver eyes. Did you ever stop to think that was strange?"

"I-" The blonde frowned and crossed her arms. "Sure, it's a little strange- but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Silver eyes are a curse, Yang. They slowly push their host towards madness." Raven looked at her daughter with a sadness that was impossible to fabricate. "It's what claimed Summer, all those years ago."

Yang sat in stunned silence. She had just found her mother, and now this? But something about the information seemed to click. Weeks before she died Yang remembered seeing Summer clutching at her head, strange energy flashing around her body. It had been late at night, and she was young. In the morning Summer had assured her it was just a bad dream. But now...

"It also.. saved my life." Raven breathed deeply before continuing. "We were separated from the rest of STRQ by a group of mercenaries. Rouge huntsmen to be exact. They had us surrounded. Usually that wouldn't have been a problem, but a Beowolf got a lucky shot the day before, and I could barely stand.

"Summer went berserk. she acted like an animal that day, killed without a shred of mercy. Her eyes glowed, and tendrils of silver ripped those mercenaries to shreds. She howled like a beast and the Grimm responded, they obeyed her Yang. The Grimm attacked anybody who tried to flee. If I hadn't hid, I'm sure they would have killed me too.

"When there were no more people left, she turned on the Grimm, went rampaging through a forest that should have taken days to clear. Tai found her unconscious a few days later, covered in Oum knows what. We never spoke of it again, but I was scared. Terrified. I'm not proud of the way I acted, but I ran." Raven reached out and touched Yang's hand, running her fingers along scarred knuckles. "I never meant to be gone as long as I was. Weeks turned into months and I just.."

She trailed off, half-formed explanations drifting into nothingness.

Blake said nothing, but her clawed fingernails dug into crossed arms. A droplet of blood welled against her skin, the pain kept her grounded.

Yang's breath hitched as she spoke. "I searched for you."

"I know."

"You could have told me."

"I know, I don't expect you to forgive me."

Raven spun many tales that night. She spoke of a King and Queen from another world, locked in a battle that lasted beyond death. She told the story of the maidens, great vessels of magic. And when proof was demanded she smiled, let her eyes glow and cracks run along the ground, let stormclouds swirl overhead. She spoke of the first huntsmen, and with every word, the world seemed to shift. With every answer, there were a hundred questions. She told of the shattered moon and the Faunus, of Gods who could end lives with a thought. And when she was done, Yang and Blake were left more lost than when they arrived.

"What.. what do we do from here? What do we do now?" The blonde stared at her hands. The weight of what they had learned pressed down upon her. She was directionless, she needed a goal, something to hold onto.

"Nothing." Raven stood and picked up her helmet. "It's late, the world will still be here in the morning. Whatever you might think. There are plenty of free tents, whatever you decide can wait the night."

And without another word she left, leaving two shell-shocked huntresses in her wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Pyrrha was learning to walk again. 

It was a difficult process, her new limbs often refused to work the way she wanted them to. Sometimes without warning, they would decide to give out entirely. On those days she would be left collapsed on the floor, often waiting hours until any sense of feeling returned. But she was determined, and Pyrrha had always been a stubborn girl. Any form of control while in captivity was like a lifeline to her; even if it was just being able to stand on her own two feet.

Her cell had no bars, the laboratory door was always unlocked. Regardless, it was still a prison. She tried to slip away exactly twice. The first time, she was confronted by a large man with a gruff voice. He had quietly guided her back to the laboratory, ignoring the many frustrated punches she threw his way. A few hours later he had returned and introduced himself as Hazel, awkwardly handing her a book before leaving. A quick glance at the cover revealed it to be a silly love story, the kind of thing adults presumed teenage girls to be into.

The second time, she wandered the many halls until she was lost. It was there, leaning against a wall and breathless from nothing but walking that she realized. They didn't care. In her current state, Pyrrha was nothing. Lack of aura left her constantly fatigued, and her semblance still showed no sign of returning. Doors were left unlocked because there was simply nowhere for her to go. The only hope she had was whatever escape attempt Emerald was planning, but the thief hadn't shown her face in days. Pyrrha was beginning to wonder if she had already left.

Several hours later she found her way back to the laboratory. The Atlesian man, Watts- was fiddling with something at the end of the room. He didn't even spare her a glance. 

She sat on her cheap hospital bed and stared down at her feet. The Grimm parts of her body were as far as she could tell, beowolf. The new limbs left her at least a foot taller than she used to be, and the strange plating always clanked when she moved. Pyrrha ran her hands down the natural armor, feeling the rough edges beneath her palms. It was a hard surface, but still pliable. Scratching from her nails left sizable dents in the material- but it didn't hurt. Attempting the same process with darkened skin led to a dull feeling of pain. Nither wound bled.

She sighed and held her head in shaking hands. Where were her team? Did they even know she was alive? No, they wouldn't, why would they? Pyrrha had run headlong into a fight she couldn't win, and this was the price to be paid for her stupidity. Nobody would be searching for a dead girl. All that could be done was wait and hope that whatever destiny had in store wouldn't be too painful.

Manic laughter echoed through the corridor. Pyrrha tensed as it steadily approached, nothing good ever came from this place. Moments later there was a knock at the door, but it opened before anyone could answer. A pale faunus with an open jacket and scars across his chest clung to the doorframe. His eyes were wild and yellow, a terrifying grin split his face. A scorpion's tail swung by his feet as he stared around erratically for a second, then locked eyes with Pyrrha.

She froze, unable to look away. Insane cackling rang in her ears as he danced closer. The man smelt of death. Watts still didn't even look up from his work. Pyrrha acted on instinct, grabbing the nearest thing in arm's reach -an empty glass vial- and smashed it across the faunus's head. Blood poured down into his eyes, but that smile never left. Bits of shattered glass fell to the floor. 

"Oh, you are a feisty one." His breath was hot against her trembling neck. Red dripped onto her lap. "But do not fight. For you have been chosen, chosen by our divine savior!" 

Pyrrha tried to move back, but found her shoulders were held in a vice-like grip. She stared at him like a caught animal, terror gripping her just as this insane man did. "L-let me go."

The smile faded and he frowned, his erratic movements coming to a sudden halt. "Her grace has called, you must not keep her waiting!"

A fist slammed into her head, and suddenly everything was spinning. Pyrrha felt herself being pulled to her feet. She was still reeling from the blow when she was shoved, stumbling, out into the hall, then into another room. 

She swayed, falling to her knees as the door closed behind her. A moment later the loud thunk of a latch was enough to jolt her into alertness. Pyrrha was in a wide chamber. Pillars extended up into a beautiful glass ceiling, sunlight shining through stained panels and casting color across the floor. In front of her was a throne made from the body of a tree, its ancient branches curled as if had grown in that shape from the very beginning. 

Atop that throne was a woman. Although, perhaps woman was the wrong word. Red eyes regarded Pyrrha in deafening silence, the cold stare of this ghostly being peering through every barrier she put up. Black veins contrasted impossibly pale skin.

Pyrrha stood. There was a terrible weight in her chest, but she vowed to die fighting. Whatever torment she was subjected to, she would never betray her ideals as a huntress. Her back straightened and she squared her shoulders, willing herself not to flinch as she met this Queen's gaze.

A haunting, bitter laugh echoed throughout the chamber. The woman stood, her black dress flowing as she walked towards Pyrrha. "So brave.." She hummed as she reached out a hand, black fingernails grazing the underside of her chin. "For what it's worth, I am sorry Ozpin dragged you into this war."

Before the young huntress could even consider what that meant, she felt her body go numb. A presence took over, and suddenly Pyrrha Nikos was nothing more than a speck in an ocean of consciousness. She watched with mild disinterest as Salem's (how did she know that name?) body crumpled to the ground. New aura flooded through her, more than her human soul could handle. She felt herself being pushed into a tiny corner of her mind, oblivion closing in on all directions.

And then, there was a spark.

A tiny piece of stolen aura. A fraction of the Maiden's power, hidden so deep it was undetectable until the space was invaded. 

But it was enough. The void recoiled, screaming from its exploding light. Pyrrha screamed too, the firey magic ripping her from the collective. She fell to her knees, feeling a sense of separation in her mind. That presence, that aura though. It never left. She felt it inside her, pushing at the barrier that had been created- desperate to merge with her soul. 

She breathed. Long, shaky breaths as she tried to contain the bile that was quickly rising in her throat. The empty shell that lay before her crumbled to dust; whatever had been inside that body had a new home now. Her. 

Pyrrha curled in on herself, the only sounds she made were the broken sobs of someone who had almost been erased. What was this? Surely, whatever she had done, she could not deserve this much pain. 

"Poor child." She snapped her head up, looking around the empty chamber before realizing (horrified) that the voice came from her own mind. "No, you deserve none of this."

"So get out of my head!" Pyrrha screamed at nothing. She covered her ears in a vain attempt to silence the presence that had settled like a dead weight in her mind. 

"I cannot do that."

"Please.." She trembled.

"I cannot."

"Then at least be quiet." Pyrrha snapped, standing up making her way to the huge doors. She rattled them once, feeling the thick metal bolt that held them shut. "They're locked."

"Not to you."

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Have you forgotten your semblance girl?" The voice sounded almost irritated, not that she cared how it felt.

"It's bl-" She paused. No, it wasn't. The sheer amount of aura surging through her body right now had overridden any blockers put in place. "Oh."

Pyrrha reached out a hand. She could feel it, the metal. There was so much of it, all throughout the building. With a practiced motion, she brought her arm back- pulling the metal towards her. But it wasn't just the bolt that moved, everything did. Every scrap of metal in a hundred-foot radius melted and flew towards her arm. The pieces acted like they were molten, but no heat radiated from the floating liquid she had brought to herself. The redhead stared at them, mesmerized.

The spell was broken a second later when the two now hingeless wooden doors crashed to the ground in front of her. Pyrrha jumped backwards in surprise, her concentration broken. The blobs of metal solidified and fell to the floor. "What was that?!"

"That my dear," Salem sounded smug. "Was power."


	5. Chapter 5

This fic will no longer be updated due to lack of interest.

If you wish to continue reading this fic, chapters are still being posted on fanfiction.net under the same story name.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review, just a couple of words from you will make the hours I spend writing worthwhile.


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